Generally, an area network group comprises a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN) and a wide area network (WAN). With increasing development of science and technology, the area network group further comprises a universal plug and play (UPnP) system and a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) system. For example, the DLNA system is an alliance organization that is composed by the manufacturers of consumer electronics products, mobile phones and computers. The DLNA is responsible for defining unified transmission specifications to allow a variety of products from different manufacturers to be connected and communicated with each other. Consequently, a first electronic device and a second electronic device that comply with the DLNA protocol can be in direct communication with each other in order to transfer data or make synchronization actions.
First of all, some architectures of the DLNA system will be illustrated as follows. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the architecture of a first conventional DLNA system. As shown in FIG. 1, the first conventional DLNA system 1 comprises a network router 10, a digital media server (DMS) 11, and a digital media player (DMP) 12. The network router 10 is connected to an internet (not shown). In addition, the network router 10 is in communication with the digital media server 11 and the digital media player 12. Consequently, the communication between the digital media server 11 and the digital media player 12 is established through the network router 10. The digital media server 11 comprises a first storage element 111 for storing a media file 15. The media file 15 is for example an audio file, a photo file or a video file. After the digital media player 12 is in communication with the digital media server 11, the digital media player 12 may search the media file 15 from the digital media server 11. After the media file 15 is selected by the user through the digital media player 12, the media file 15 is transmitted from the digital media server 11 to a second storage element 121 of the digital media player 12. After the media file 15 is received by the digital media player 12, the media file 15 that is temporarily stored into the second storage element 121 can be played by the digital media player 12.
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the architecture of a second conventional DLNA system. As shown in FIG. 2, the second conventional DLNA system 2 comprises a network router 20, a digital media server (DMS) 21, and a digital media renderer (DMR) 23. The communication between the digital media server 21 and the digital media renderer 23 is established through the network router 20. Similarly, the digital media server 21 comprises a first storage element 211 for storing a media file 25. In addition, the digital media server 21 further provides a control function of controlling operations of the digital media renderer 23. The digital media renderer 23 is used for receiving and playing the media file 25 that is transmitted from the digital media server 21. After the control function of the digital media server 21 is utilized to select the stored media file 25 from the digital media server 21, the media file 25 is transmitted from the digital media server 21 to the digital media renderer 23. Consequently, the media file 25 can be played by the digital media renderer 23.
FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the architecture of a third conventional DLNA system. As shown in FIG. 3, the third conventional DLNA system 3 comprises a network router 30, a digital media server (DMS) 31, a digital media renderer (DMR) 33, and a digital media controller (DMC) 34. The communication between the digital media server 31, the digital media renderer 33 and the digital media controller 34 is established through the network router 30. The digital media server 31 comprises a first storage element for storing a media file 35. The digital media renderer 33 is used for receiving and playing the media file 35 that is transmitted from the digital media server 31. The digital media controller 34 provides a control function. After the control function of the digital media controller 34 is utilized to select the stored media file 35 from the digital media server 31, the media file 35 is transmitted from the digital media server 31 to the digital media renderer 33. Consequently, the media file 35 can be played by the digital media renderer 33.
As mentioned above, the digital media server, the digital media controller, the digital media renderer and the digital media player included in the same DLNA system may transfer or play media files through the network router. The digital media server and the digital media renderer may be referred as passive control devices that can be controlled. Moreover, the digital media controller and the digital media player may be referred as active control devices that can control the passive control devices. For example, a user in a living room may allow a smart phone to be connected to a computer host in a study room. Moreover, through the smart phone, the user may browse the audio files in the computer host and select a desired audio file from the computer host. Then, the selected audio file is transmitted from the smart phone to a stereo device in the living room. After the audio file is received by the stereo set, the audio file is played by the stereo device. Consequently, the purposes of conveniently and quickly sharing media contents can be achieved by the DLNA system.
Nowadays, a novel DLNA system on the basis of the conventional DLNA system has been introduced into the market. The novel DLNA system is connected to an internet server through network connection. The internet server contains plural internet radio stations. Moreover, the real-time streaming media files from the internet radio stations may be played by the DLNA system. A method of playing the real-time streaming media files from the internet radio stations by the DLNA system will be illustrated as follows. Firstly, the user may operate an active control device of the DLNA system to establish the network communication between the active control device and a digital media server, and an internet radio station broadcast selective item of the digital media server is clicked by the user (i.e. a first operation of the user). Consequently, the digital media server is connected to the internet server through network connection, and the digital media server issues an internet radio station type search request to the internet server. In response to the internet radio station type search request, the internet server issues an internet radio station type list to the digital media server. Consequently, a first packet corresponding to the internet radio station type list is transmitted from the digital media server to the active control device. According to the first packet, the user may view plural radio station types of the internet radio stations in the internet server through the active control device.
Next, the user may operate the active control device to select a first radio station type of the plural radio station types (i.e. a second operation of the user). For example, the first radio station type is a blues song type. Then, a first internet radio station search request corresponding to the first radio station type is transmitted from the digital media server to the internet server. In response to the first internet radio station search request, plural internet radio station data are transmitted from the internet server to the digital media server. Consequently, a second packet corresponding to the plural internet radio station data is transmitted from the digital media server to the active control device. According to the second packet, the user may view all internet radio station data of the internet radio stations in the network serve through the active control device. For example, the internet radio station data contain the names of the internet radio stations.
Next, the user may operate the active control device to select a first internet radio station of the plural internet radio stations (i.e. a third operation of the user). Consequently, a first internet radio station address retrieve request corresponding to the first internet radio station is transmitted from the digital media server to the internet server. In response to the first internet radio station address retrieve request, plural first address data corresponding to the first internet radio station are transmitted from the internet server to the digital media server. Consequently, a third packet corresponding to the plural first address data is transmitted from the digital media server to the active control device. According to the third packet, the user may view the plural first address data through the active control device.
Next, the user may operate the active control device to select a first address data to be connected (i.e. a fourth operation of the user). According to the selected first address data, a digital media player or a digital media renderer of the DLNA system is directly connected to the internet server through network connection, and a real-time streaming media file corresponding to the internet radio station address is transmitted from the internet server to the DLNA system. Consequently, the real-time streaming media file from the internet radio station is played by the digital media player or the digital media renderer.
In the above method of playing the real-time streaming media file, the user has to perform four selection operations in order to establish the communication between the active control device and the digital media server and establish the communication between the digital media server and the internet server. Since the user has to perform many operations and wait for the response from the internet server in order to perform the subsequent operation, the above method of playing the real-time streaming media file is inconvenient and troublesome to the use.
Therefore, there is a need of providing a real-time streaming media playing method and a real-time streaming media playing system for playing real-time streaming media files of internet radio stations in enhanced playing efficiency.